Built-in retractable ventilation hood assembly

ABSTRACT

A built-in ventilation hood assembly for air exhausting is disclosed. An example built-in ventilation hood assembly may comprise a housing and a retractable hood unit configured to be slidably mounted within the housing. The retractable hood unit may comprise at least one air intake into which air is drawn. The built-in ventilation hood assembly may further comprise a driving unit configured to slide the retractable hood unit out from the housing or slide the retractable hood unit in to the housing, and a ventilation unit being installed within the housing and configured to draw air in through the at least one air intake.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to ventilation hoods. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a built-in kitchen retractable hood for ventilating the area around a built-in cooking device such as a wall oven.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Cooking may create undesirable products such as combustion gases, smells of food, heat, steam, grease, and so forth. These products may pollute the air in a kitchen and even be harmful and hazardous for people. It is traditionally desirable to safely remove these products from the cooking area to outside.

Various kitchen ventilation hoods are developed to draw the gas products away from the kitchen. The ventilation hoods are conventionally disposed above the cooking area, because gas products generally possess high temperatures, which cause them to flow upwards. Typical kitchen ventilation hoods comprise a fan configured to exhaust gas products to an outdoor space and a metal casing made in a form suitable for collecting gas products from the wide cooking area.

Most ventilation hoods are designed to be installed above stovetops; however a typical kitchen may comprise many other cooking devices that can produce undesirable gas products. Among such cooking devices are wall ovens, microwave ovens, and so forth, which are typically built into the kitchen cabinetry. There is no known suitable and effective ventilation hood for removing gas products generated by such built-in cooking devices.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In accordance with various embodiments and the corresponding disclosure thereof, a built-in ventilation hood assembly for exhausting air is provided. The built-in ventilation hood assembly may comprise a housing and a retractable hood unit configured to be slidably mounted within the housing. The retractable hood unit may comprise at least one air intake into which air is drawn. The built-in ventilation hood (retractable hood) assembly may further comprise a driving unit configured to slide out the retractable hood unit from the housing or slide in the retractable hood unit to the housing. The built-in ventilation hood assembly may also comprise a ventilation unit installed within the housing and configured to draw air in through the at least one air intake.

According to an example, the housing can be configured to be embedded into a kitchen cabinet above a built-in cooking device (e.g., a wall oven). The housing may further comprise one or more guiding members to receive the retractable hood unit. The guiding members may comprise one or more of rails, racks, guides, ramps, ribs, and shafts. The driving unit may comprise at least one electric motor and a transmission unit configured to transmit the force generated by the at least one electric motor to the retractable hood unit. The transmission unit may comprise at least one gear connected with the driving unit and at least one rack coupled to the retractable hood unit. The ventilation unit may comprise at least one of: one or more fans, one or more ducts, and one or more air guiding members.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly may further comprise a control panel configured to control the driving unit to slide in or out the retractable hood unit, and to control the ventilation unit to draw air through. The built-in ventilation hood assembly may further comprise at least one air outlet to convey the drawn air flow outside. The at least one air outlet can be configured to be coupled with an external air conduit. The drawn air flow, at least in a part, can be forced outside of the premises where the built-in ventilation hood assembly is to be mounted. The built-in ventilation hood assembly may further comprise a filtering unit configured to treat the drawn air. The filtering unit may comprise a carbon filter.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly may further comprise one or more illumination devices. The assembly may further comprise warning lights to indicate boundaries, angles or walls of the built-in ventilation hood assembly. The warning lights can be automatically powered on when the retractable hood unit is extended from the housing. The retractable hood unit can be configured to be retracted from the housing on one or more predetermined lengths.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a kitchen cabinetry having a built-in ventilation hood assembly in a retracted position, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the kitchen cabinetry having the built-in ventilation hood assembly in an extended position, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the built-in ventilation hood assembly, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the built-in ventilation hood assembly having the retractable hood unit in the extended position, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic top view of a longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly having the retractable hood unit in the slide out position, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side view of the longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly having the retractable hood unit in the slide in position, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of the longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly having the retractable hood unit in the slide out position, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a diagrammatic side view of the longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly having the retractable hood unit in the slide out position, according to another example embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the built-in ventilation hood assembly, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of electronic appliances of the built-in ventilation hood assembly and their interconnection, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of electronic appliances of the built-in ventilation hood assembly and their interconnection, according to another example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show illustrations in accordance with example embodiments. These example embodiments, which are also referred to herein as “examples,” are described in enough detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter. The embodiments can be combined, other embodiments can be utilized, or structural, logical and electrical changes can be made without departing from the scope of what is claimed. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

According to various embodiments disclosed herein, a built-in ventilation hood assembly for air exhausting is provided. The built-in ventilation hood assembly can be embedded in a kitchen cabinet above a built-in cooking device such as a wall oven. Accordingly, the built-in ventilation hood assembly is designed to remove undesired gas products generated by the cooking device.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly may comprise a housing, a ventilation unit installed therein, and a retractable hood unit which can be slidably mounted within the housing. The retractable hood unit may be driven by a user with the help of a driving unit (e.g., an electric motor) that can cause the hood to move from the retracted position to an extended position, and vice versa. In some embodiments, the retractable hood unit can be moved out from the housing on predetermined lengths (e.g., on a half length and a full length).

The retractable hood unit may comprise an air intake (e.g., a plurality of openings or a lattice arranged on its bottom wall) for exhausting air from the cooking area to an outside area. Accordingly, when the retractable hood unit is extended from the housing, the air can be exhausted through the air intake and be forced through the ventilation unit to an external air conduit or to an air filter and then back to the cooking area.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly may also be provided with a transmission unit configured to transmit the force generated by the driving unit to the retractable hood unit. In one example, the transmission unit may comprise a gear coupled to the driving unit and a rack coupled with the retractable hood unit. Accordingly, the force of the driving unit can be transmitted via the transmission unit to the retractable hood unit for sliding in or out of the housing.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly may also comprise multiple illumination devices to light the cooking area and light certain parts of the assembly (e.g., corners, side walls, etc.). It was shown that warning lights at the angles or boundaries of the assembly help people be more careful and the number of injures can be significantly reduced.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a kitchen cabinetry 100 having a built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 in a retracted position, according to an example embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the kitchen cabinetry 100 comprises a plurality of cabinets for various purposes. The kitchen cabinetry 100 also comprises the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110, which is disposed above a cooking device 120. The cooking device 120 may include a wall oven, a wall microwave oven, or the like, and may generate heat provided to food for cooking. Accordingly, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 can be activated when the cooking device 120 is in use.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the kitchen cabinetry 100 having the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 in an extended (slide out) position, according to an example embodiment.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may be coupled to an air conduit (not shown) to remove exhausted air to an outside area. Thus, gas products generated during the cooking process may be exhausted by the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 and forced to the outside area through a set of conduits. In some examples, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may comprise an air filter and an outlet (not shown) to force treated air back to the cooking area.

According to some embodiments, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 can be extended from the moved-in position to a certain length depending on current needs.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110, according to an example embodiment. As shown, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may comprise a housing 310, a retractable hood unit 320, and an air outlet 330 designed for coupling with an external air conduit. As shown, the retractable hood unit 320 is retracted within the housing 310.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may further comprise a control panel 340. The control panel 340 can be arranged on the front panel of the retractable hood unit 320 or on any other wall of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110. The control panel 340 may comprise one or more buttons or other electronic appliances to control different units of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110. In particular, the control panel 340 may provide control over a ventilation unit, a driving unit to slide the retractable hood unit 320 in or out, and different illumination devices (not shown).

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 having the retractable hood unit 320 in the slide out (extended) position, according to an example embodiment.

As mentioned, the retractable hood unit 320 may be slidably positioned within the housing 310. In order to provide the ability of moving the retractable hood unit 310, the housing 310 may comprise one or more guiding members 410 (shown in dashed lines) to receive the retractable hood unit 320. The guiding members 410 may comprise, among other things, rails, racks, guides, ramps, ribs, and shafts.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic top view of longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 having the retractable hood unit 320 in the slide out position, according to an example embodiment.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may comprise the housing 310 and the retractable hood unit 320 both having rectangular parallelepiped forms such that the retractable hood unit 320 may slide in or out of the housing 310. The sliding is performed with the help of the guiding members 410 disposed within the housing 310. In the shown example, the guiding members 410 are rails. In one exemplary embodiment, the guiding members 410 may form a channel to receive the retractable hood unit 320.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may further comprise a driving unit 510 disposed within the housing 310. The driving unit 510 may be configured to generate forces necessary for moving the retractable hood unit 320 along the guiding members 410. In one example, the driving unit 510 comprises one or more electric motors disposed within the housing 310. In the shown example, there is a single electric motor 510 only, although those skilled in the art would appreciate that any number of electric motors can be used and disposed in different positions within the housing 310.

The driving unit 510 may further comprise a transmission unit configured to transmit the force generated by the driving unit 510 to the retractable hood unit 320. The transmission unit can be designed in many suitable variants and comprise one or more of gears, shafts, racks, drive bands, chains, and so forth. In the shown example, the transmission unit is made in the form of a gear (not shown) coupled to the electric motor axis and a rack 520 movably attached to the gear at one end and stationary coupled to the retractable hood unit 320 at the other end. When the electric motor 510 rotates its axis, the driving force is transmitted through the gear to the rack 520 such that it can move in back or forward directions, and displace the retractable hood unit 320 from the retracted position to the extended (slide out) position, or vice versa.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may further comprise a ventilation unit 530 which can be installed within the housing 310. The ventilation unit 530 can be configured to draw air in through the at least one air intake and drive it out to the air outlet 330. The ventilation unit 530 may comprise at least one fan to drive air. However, the ventilation unit 530 may further comprise one or more ducts and/or one or more air guiding members to guide air within the housing 310.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may comprise one or more air intakes. More specifically, the retractable hood unit 320 may comprise an air intake 540 arranged in its bottom wall. The air intake 540 may be implemented as a hole or a set of openings (for example, as a lattice). In some other embodiments, the retractable hood unit 320 may comprise additional air intakes (not shown). For example, the retractable hood unit 320 may comprise two air intakes 540, which are arranged in such a way that when the retractable hood unit 320 is extended to its half-length, it is uses a first air intake only, but when the retractable hood unit 320 is extended to its full length, both air intakes can be in use. In the latter case, the intake area can be extended when necessary to exhaust air in a more intensive manner.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side view of a longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 having the retractable hood unit 320 in the slide in (retracted) position, according to an example embodiment. FIG. 6 further illustrates that the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may be provided with one or more illumination devices 610. The illumination devices 610 can be configured to light the cooking area (e.g., the wall oven 120) and may comprise one or more of electroluminescent devices such as luminous tube lamps, filament lamps, LEDs, energy-saving lamps, and so forth.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of a longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 having the retractable hood unit 320 in the slide out position, according to an example embodiment. FIG. 7 shows how the exhausted air can be forced within the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110. When the retractable hood unit 320 is in the slide out position, the air flow may be sucked through the air intake 540 to the internal compartment of the retractable hood unit 320 and then to an internal compartment of the housing 310. The air flow is then driven to the ventilation unit 530 and then forced outside via the air outlet 330.

FIG. 8 shows a diagrammatic side view of longitudinal section of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 having the retractable hood unit 320 in the slide out position, according to another example embodiment.

In this embodiment, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 is similar to the previously described embodiments; however, in the shown example, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may further comprise a filtering unit 810 configured to treat the drawn air. The filtering unit 810 may be implemented as a carbon filter and can be integrated with a duct or the ventilation unit 530. The filtering unit 810 may either be arranged in front the fan (of the ventilation unit 530) or behind.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may further comprise a duct 820 to transmit the treated air to an air outlet 830 such that the treated air can be returned to the cooking area. According to various embodiments, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may comprise both air outlets 330 and 830 and, additionally, a switch (not shown) to redirect air flow to any one of these outlets. Such a switch can be arranged as an air guide member (for example, a moveable baffle (not shown)).

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110, according to an example embodiment. As shown, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may comprise the housing 310, the retractable hood unit 320, the air outlet 330, and the control panel 340. In this embodiment, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may further comprise warning lights 910. The warning lights 910 can be arranged on the front panel of the retractable hood unit 320 and/or at the housing 310.

The warning lights 910 can be configured to warn users and highlight the angles or any boundaries of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110. In the shown example, the warning lights 910 are disposed on the opposite lateral sides of the retractable hood unit 320. The warning lights 910 may comprise one or more of electroluminescent devices such as luminous tube lamps, filament lamps, LEDs, energy-saving lamps, and the like. The warning lights 910 may draw the users' attention in order to prevent the users from being injured by accidently hitting their heads or any other body parts on the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 when its retractable hood unit 320 is in the extended position.

In one example embodiment, the warning lights 910 are powered at the times when the ventilation unit 530 is activated. In some other embodiments, the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may comprise a control to turn the warning lights 910 on or off.

FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of electronic appliances of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 and their interconnection, according to an example embodiment. The electronic appliances comprise the control panel 340, the driving unit 510, the ventilation unit 530 (e.g., the fan), the illumination device 610, and the warning lights 910.

The control panel 340 may comprise one or more operation controls such as buttons. In the shown example, the control panel 340 comprises a ‘Slide In/Out’ button 1110 to control the driving unit 510, a ‘Fan On/Off’ button 1120 to control the ventilation unit 530 (and, optionally, the warning lights 910), and a ‘Lights On/Off’ button 1130 to control the illumination device 610.

When a user presses the ‘Slide In/Out’ button 1110, the driving unit 510 is energized to slide out the retractable hood unit 320 from the housing 310 or slide it in.

Furthermore, when the user presses the ‘Fan On/Off’ button 1120, the ventilation unit 530 is powered to start blowing. When the user presses this button again, the ventilation unit 530 is caused to stop operation. In various embodiments, the control panel may be provided with multiple buttons to control the ventilation unit 530 and, in particular, to control fan speed. In some other embodiments, each press on the button 1120 may cause a step like change in the fan rotation speed. Those skilled in the art would appreciate that multiple different button implementations are possible depending on application.

In addition, in one example embodiment, the warning lights 910 can be automatically turned on when the ventilation unit 530 is activated, and similarly, when the ventilation unit 530 deactivated, the warning lights 910 can be automatically turned off.

When the ‘Lights On/Off’ button 1130 is pressed by the user, the illumination device 610 is either powered on or powered off. In an embodiment, the illumination device 610 can also be operatively coupled to the warning lights 910 such that the warning lights 910 are powered when the illumination device 610 is powered.

FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of electronic appliances of the built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 and their interconnection, according to another example embodiment. In this embodiment, the electronic appliances comprise the control panel 340, the driving unit 510, the ventilation unit 530, and the warning lights 910.

The control panel 340 may comprise one or more operation controls such as buttons. In this example, the control panel 340 comprises an ‘Off’ button 1210, a ‘Fan On—50%’ button 1220, and a ‘Fan On—100%’ button 1230.

When a user presses the ‘Off’ button 1210, the driving unit 510 is energized to slide the retractable hood unit 320 into the housing 310 (if the retractable hood unit 320 was in the extended position). Furthermore, upon the ‘Off’ button 1210 is pressed, the ventilation unit 530 and the warning lights 910 can be powered off.

When the user presses the ‘Fan On—50%’ button 1220, first the driving unit 510 is activated to position the retractable hood unit 320 on its half length (in other words, the retractable hood unit 320 is extended to 50% from the housing 310). Further, the ventilation unit 530 is powered to start blowing. In this case, the ventilation unit 530 can be powered at 50% of its entire power. And lastly, the warning lights 910 are automatically powered.

When the user presses the ‘Fan On—100%’ button 1230, the driving unit 510 is activated to extend the retractable hood unit 320 to its full length (in other words, the retractable hood unit 320 is extended to 100% from the housing 310), the ventilation unit 530 is powered to start blowing, and the warning lights 910 are powered to illuminate that the assembly 110 is in use and to indicate its angles and boundaries.

Those skilled in the art would appreciate that multiple different buttons can be used, and multiple operating modes can be assigned to them depending on application.

The built-in ventilation hood assembly 110 may also comprise any other circuits, hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof to provide the functionality of the disclosed embodiments. For hardware implementation, the embodiments can be implemented with processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. Memory can be implemented within a processor or external to the processor. As used herein, the term “memory” refers to any type of long term, short term, volatile, nonvolatile, or other storage device and is not to be limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or type of media upon which memory is stored. For firmware and/or software implementation, the embodiments can be implemented with modules such as procedures, functions, and so on, that perform the functions described herein. Any machine readable medium tangibly embodying instructions can be used in implementing the embodiments described herein. The circuits may also comprise, among other things, one or more relays, one or more switches, one or more connection means, and electric wires.

Thus, different embodiments of a built-in ventilation hood assembly have been disclosed. Although embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes can be made to these example embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A built-in ventilation hood assembly for air exhausting, comprising: a housing; a retractable hood unit configured to be slidably mounted within the housing and wherein the retractable hood unit comprises at least one air intake into which air is drawn; a driving unit configured to slide out the retractable hood unit from the housing or slide the retractable hood unit into the housing; and a ventilation unit being installed within the housing and configured to draw air in through the at least one air intake.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be embedded into a kitchen cabinet above a built-in cooking device.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises one or more guiding members to receive the retractable hood unit.
 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the guiding members comprise one or more of rails, racks, guides, ramps, ribs, and shafts.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the driving unit comprises at least one electric motor and a transmission unit configured to transmit a force generated by the at least one electric motor to the retractable hood unit.
 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the transmission unit comprises at least one gear connected with the driving unit and at least one rack coupled to the retractable hood unit.
 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the ventilation unit comprises at least one of: one or more fans, one or more ducts, and one or more air guiding members.
 8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a control panel configured to control the driving unit to slide the retractable hood unit in or out, and to control the draw of air through the ventilation.
 9. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one air outlet to convey the drawn air flow outside.
 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one air outlet is configured to be coupled with an external air conduit.
 11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the drawn air flow at least in a part is forced outside the premises in which the built-in ventilation hood assembly is to be mounted.
 12. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a filtering unit configured to treat the drawn air.
 13. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the filtering unit comprises a carbon filter.
 14. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising one or more illumination devices.
 15. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising warning lights to indicate boundaries, angles or walls of the built-in ventilation hood assembly.
 16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the warning lights are automatically powered when the retractable hood unit is extended from the housing.
 17. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the retractable hood unit is configured to be retracted from the housing to one or more predetermined lengths. 